The present invention relates to a buckle of a two-piece type, and more particularly, to a buckle including two releasably connectable members which are attached to each end portion of a belt or strap of various products, such as clothing, bags or backpacks, that can be applied to wide belts or straps with a simple configuration, and can be readily and quickly connected to or disconnected from each other.
In general, a buckle is a fastener including two male and female members which are formed of a plastic material and are releasably engaged to each other by a resilient force. Accordingly, such a buckle is applied to various applications because of light weight and easy fastening ability.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating one example of a general buckle according to the related art. The buckle includes a plug member 10 and a socket member 20 which are attached to each end portion of straps S1 and S2.
As illustrating in FIG. 1, the plug member 10 has a pair of resilient lock arms 12 linearly protruding from a base 11, and a guide rod 13 linearly extending from the base 11 between the lock arms 12. The socket member 20 has a chamber 21 opened at a front end thereof, and a pair of openings 22 each formed at both sides of the socket member 20. The lock arms 12 of the plug member 10 are inserted and resiliently engaged to the chamber 21 of the socket member 20.
Accordingly, the buckle is fastened by inserting the plug member 10 into the chamber 21 of the socket member 20, by which the pair of lock arms 12 are inserted into the chamber 21 of the socket member 20, and then are resiliently locked to the openings 22. The buckle is released by pressing the lock arms 12, which are inserted into the socket member 20, from both external sides of the openings 22, and pulling the plug member 10 toward the outside.
However, the buckle of the related art is usually applied to the product having the straps S1 and S2 of a relatively narrow width. If the buckle is applied to a wide strap for a life jacket or a hunting vest, there is a drawback in that the whole volume becomes large.
The buckle of the related art is fastened by inserting the plug member 10 into the socket member 20 while holding the members 10 and 20 with both hands. Also, the plug member 10 is disengaged from the socket member 20 by pressing the lock arms 12 of the plug member 10 while holding the members 10 and 20 with both hands. The buckle of the related art is unfastened only by accurate manipulation with both hands. In the case of quickly disconnecting the plug member and the socket member, for example, in the case where a user wearing a life jacket or a bulletproof vest cannot use both hands in an emergency or by injury, or should quickly remove the jacket or vest, it is hard to apply the buckle of the related art.
In order to solve the above problem, U.S. Pat. No. 10,316,887 issued on Jun. 11, 2019 discloses a locking connector assembly including a female connector having a longitudinal passage and a male connector slidably engaged to the longitudinal passage. The male connector and the female connector are disconnected by pulling a central tab, so that a strap connecting portion of a wide width is secured, and the quick disconnection is realized by use of only one hand. However, the above patent has a problem in that since the male connector and the female connector are slidably connected to each other or disconnected from each other in a longitudinal direction thereby to extend a stroke distance, it is inconvenient to manipulate the two connectors in the longitudinal direction. Also, since the male connector should be forcibly pushed in an accurate way from a lateral side of the female connector, it is required for accurate and skilled manipulation. In addition, since the male and female connectors have a circular cross section, there is inconvenient sense of contact when it is applied to the clothing, such as a life jacket.
It is required for a buckle that can be easily and quickly connected or disconnected to provide convenience.